President Buhari Rejects Tourism Bill

President Muhammadu Buhari last week conveyed to the Senate his decision to withhold assent to two bills, with one of them the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority Bill.

President Buhari said section 14(d), section 30(2d) of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (Repeal and re-enactment) bill contradicts section 4 (1-3) and paragraph 60 (d) of the second schedule of the Nigeria’s Constitution.

“Section 30 of the bill proposing to levy a tourism fee on all in-bound international travellers, a tourism levy on all out-bound travellers and a tourism departure contribution fee of 1 per cent per hotel room rate.

“Such flat fee has been fixed by the authority and a corporate tourism development levy of 1 per cent to be charged on the revenue of banks, telecommunications and other corporate entities. This will be inimical to the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria and constitute additional burden on the tourism business,” the letter reads as Mr Buhari’s second reason.

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